When it comes to making desserts, we kitties are always there to offer our help. For example, my sister Cannelle volunteers to lick the pans, and Fifi, another of my sisters, likes to test all the ingredients to make sure they are fresh. As for me, I like to stir the crêpe dough or knead the pastry dough. But here’s the thing, mum doesn’t let us do it. Why? She pretends she doesn’t need our help. Poor woman, she doesn’t know what she’s missing; we are real chefs! She shouldn’t be surprised then when we sneak into the kitchen and come running out with a cookie in our mouths!
Yule Log - an Essential Pastry for Christmas Celebration
A few years ago, mum had a friend from far away at Christmas dinner. At the end of the meal, mum got up from the table and said, “It’s time to bring the log to the table.”
Of course, we all gathered around and started to lick our chops, but the astonished visitor asked, “The log? What for? You don’t eat wood in France, do you?”
Don’t worry, dear reader, it’s only a cake in the shape of a log. It’s a rolled biscuit with vanilla, hazelnut, chocolate or more exotic flavours, and it’s called the Christmas or Yule log. It’s an essential pastry for Christmas celebrations. Here is its history.
In the beginning, the Yule log was not edible: it was a large wooden log that was burnt for as long as possible. It was intended to ward off bad luck and bring good luck all year round. The log was decorated with foliage and ribbons. This tradition has since continued in pastry-making, where the frosting is decorated with sugar pieces and other confectionery. I’m not sure if anyone still remembers its meaning while eating their chocolate bûche!
The tradition is said to have originated during a ritual marking the end of the winter solstice in northern European countries. The rolled sponge cake, which is eaten as a dessert, is thought to have appeared in the mid-20th century. It was not until after the Second World War that the Yule log spread throughout France and then to other French-speaking countries.
Tips to Make the Perfect Christmas Log
The sponge cake. There are several ways to make a sponge cake, but the easiest is to make it with egg whites. Do not overcook it as it will become brittle. When you roll out the dough, do not make it too thick as you will not be able to roll the sponge. Don’t forget to oil and flour the baking paper before rolling out the dough.
The greatest fear of pastry chefs who make Yule logs is that the sponge cake will not be flexible enough and will break when rolled. To avoid this, there is a simple technique: roll the sponge cake in a tea towel as soon as it comes out of the oven. This ensures that the sponge is supple and easier to work with once it has cooled down. If the sponge is a little overcooked, you can moisten the cloth slightly.
The good thing about the Yule log is that you can let your imagination run wild with the filling. Just one thing: to be able to roll the cake without problems, the filling must not be too thick or too liquid, and it must not melt else the cake will be too wet. For example, you can choose a traditional butter cream or cheese spread, but also chestnut cream with whipped cream, jam, ganache or even chocolate mousse!
A log worthy of the name will need icing. You can either make a traditional sugar or chocolate icing or simply reuse the cream you used to fill the sponge. If you use a classic icing, place the log on a grid so that you can easily cover it evenly.
To lighten your workload on Christmas day, prepare this dessert a day in advance. That way, the cream will have time to become one with the sponge, creating a super soft log. However, if you want to decorate it with chocolate chips, crunchy biscuit pieces or sugar pieces, add them at the last minute!
Four Yule Log Easy Recipes
Two Chocolate Log
SERVES 6 | PREP. TIME 20 min | COOKING TIME 13 min
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
4 eggs
4.25 oz (120 g) sugar
0.7 oz (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
3.5 oz (100 g) flour
0.9 oz (25 g) melted butter
For the cream
3.5 oz (100g) white chocolate
4 tablespoon(s) liquid cream
5.3 oz (150 g) Philadelphia cheese (or any other cream cheese)
For the icing
0.7 fl oz (20 cl) of liquid cream
7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate
1tbs of butter
icing sugar
multicoloured sprinkles
For the syrup
4.5 oz (125 g) redcurrants
1 oz (30 g) sugar
Method
Turn on the oven to 180°C.
Line the baking tray with baking paper.
Prepare the sponge cake: separate the egg yolks from the whites, whisk the yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns white, add the flour and cocoa. Beat the egg whites until stiff and mix them with the butter. Spread the dough on the baking sheet to a thickness of 7-8 mm and bake for 8 minutes.
For the cream, melt the white chocolate with the cream in a bain-marie.
Remove the cake from the oven, cover it with a damp cloth and roll it.
For the frosting, boil the cream, pour it over the dark chocolate. Add the butter, smooth and leave to cool.
Unroll the cake and remove the cloth.
Mix the Philadelphia cheese and white chocolate, spread on the biscuit, cover with a little icing in the shape of a pattern, roll the biscuit tightly in baking paper and chill for 1 night.
The next day, warm the rest of the icing to soften it, smooth, coat the log and put it back in the fridge
For the syrup, boil the currants and sugar for 5 minutes and filter. Decorate the log with chocolate chips and icing sugar and drizzle with the syrup.
Chocolate and Orange Log
SERVES 6 | PREP. TIME 30 min | COOKING TIME 25 min
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
4 eggs
4.2 oz (120 g) sugar
0.7 oz (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
3.5 oz (100 g) flour
0.9 oz (25 g) melted butter
For the ganache
300 g/10.5 oz cream
300 g/10.5 oz of dark chocolate
For the decoration
orange coulis
candied orange peel
cocoa powder
Method
Prepare the sponge cake as in the previous recipe.
For the ganache: bring the cream to the boil, pour it over the broken chocolate. Mix with a whisk. When the texture becomes creamy, spread the ganache on the biscuit. Roll the biscuit lengthwise, taking care to tighten it, then wrap it in greaseproof paper to give it a cylindrical shape. Set aside in a cool place for 2 hours before serving.
Decorate with ganache, orange coulis, candied orange peel, cocoa powder...
Raspberry and Pistachio Log
SERVES 6 | PREP. TIME 20 min | COOKING TIME 12 min
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 sachet of vanilla sugar
4.4 oz (125 g) sugar
4.4 oz (125 g) flour
8.8 oz (250 g) mascarpone
1.8 oz ((50 g) icing sugar + 1 tablespoon to sprinkle
8.8 oz (250) g raspberries
1.8 oz (50 g) unsalted pistachios
Method
Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
Whisk the yolks with the sugar, add the flour, then the beaten whites with the vanilla sugar.
Pour the dough on a tray covered with baking paper, spread it with a spatula and bake it for 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated oven at th.6-7/200°C
Turn the biscuit on a damp cloth, roll it on itself and set aside.
Mix the mascarpone and icing sugar with a whisk.
Mix the pistachios with 1 tbsp. icing sugar
Unroll the biscuit, spread a layer of mascarpone, sprinkle with pistachios, spread the raspberries, then roll the log tightly.
Wrap in cling film and chill for 4 hours or more.
Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.
Chestnut Cream and Praliné Delight
If you don't feel like rolling the sponge cake into a log shape, here is a simple but no less delicious version.
SERVES 6 | PREP. TIME 45 min | COOKING TIME 22 min
Ingredients
7 fl oz (20 cl) of liquid cream
10.5 oz (300 g) chestnut cream
10.5 oz (300 g) chestnut purée
4.4 oz (125 g) praliné
1.8 oz (50 g) icing sugar + a little pink sugar vermicelli
For the ganache :
10.5 oz (300 g) dark chocolate
8.8 fl oz(25 cl) of liquid cream
1.4 oz (40 g) butter
For the cake
6 egg whites
1 oz (30 g) sugar
3.5 oz (100 g) almond powder
3.5 oz (100 g) icing sugar
1 oz (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
Method
The ganache: chop the chocolate with a large knife, grate it or use chocolate pellets (easier).
Heat the cream.
Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate, stir with a whisk to smooth it, adding the butter in pieces at the end. Leave to cool.
The cake: turn on the oven to th.6/180°C and line the baking tray with baking paper.
Beat the egg whites until stiff with the 30g sugar and 1 pinch of salt, then add the powdered almonds, icing sugar and cocoa sifted at the end.
Roll out the pastry on the baking paper and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Whip the cream to a whipped cream, adding 50g of icing sugar at the end and mix it with the ganache.
Mix the chestnut cream and the chestnut purée.
Put cling film in a cake tin, making sure it extends well over the edges.
Cut the biscuit into 3 or 4 strips to fit the size of the tin. Put a strip of biscuit in the bottom of the tin, add a layer of chestnut mixture, a layer of whipped cream ganache, praline, a strip of biscuit, etc. until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with the biscuit.
Fold over the cling film and chill for 12 hours.
Serve the cake in slices, sprinkled with icing sugar and pink sugar sprinkles.
Recipe Tip
Mixing chestnut cream with chestnut purée gives a less sweet and more flavourful cream. Quality chestnut cream and purée can be found in delicatessens and organic shops. You can serve this cake with an almond custard. If you don’t find ready to use praliné ( caramelized hazelnuts, crushed) in shops, leave a comment, we will send you a recipe to make it at home.